E AST O REGONIAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019
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A8
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Thomas rises above the competition
6-foot-4 Hermiston
senior center leaves a
lasting impression on
the basketball court
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
While Hermiston was a wel-
comed addition to the Mid-Co-
lumbia Conference this season,
the girls basketball coaches were
a little unsure of the challenges
that would come with the Bull-
dogs and their 6-foot-4 senior
center Jordan Thomas.
“She was very diffi cult for
us,” said Kamiakin coach Lane
Schumacher, whose team won
the MCC title. “Not only does
she have the height to make
things diffi cult for us with her
defense, but she also has a good
touch on the offensive end. We
tried to pressure the guards so
they couldn’t get her the ball.”
Thomas was a cut above the
competition this season, earning
her the East Oregonian Player of
the Year honor.
“It’s a well-deserved honor
for her,” Schumacher said. “She
is going to keep developing. Her
best basketball is still ahead of
her.”
Thomas is joined on the
fi rst team by teammate Jaz-
lyn Romero, Pendleton fresh-
man Muriel Hoisington, Sydney
Wilson and Jacee Currin from
Heppner’s 2A state champion-
ship team, and Ana Zacarias of
Irrigon.
Heppner’s Robert Wilson is
the Coach of the Year.
Thomas averaged 15.5 points,
13.2 rebounds, 3.8 blocked shots
and 1.2 steals a game for the
Bulldogs, who advanced to the
3A regional tournament.
She also was named to the
MCC’s fi rst team, and to the
defensive team.
“It makes my job easy in
terms of scoring options,” Herm-
iston coach Juan Rodriguez
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hermiston’s Jordan Thomas is the East Oregonian Player of the Year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points and 13.2 rebounds this season for the Bull-
dogs.
said. “I think a lot of coaches
would like to have a player like
that, who can get a basket at any
time. She’s defi nitely a dominant
player, especially in this league.
For the coaches to single her out
and put her on the fi rst team says
a lot.”
For Thomas, the switch to
the MCC helped her game, and
helped in preparation for taking
her game to the college level.
“I found it more challenging,”
Thomas said. “I took that in a
positive way. It was fun to play
against those girls, they are so
skilled. There was new competi-
tion, and I learned a lot. It was
good to see new things.”
ALL-EAST OREGONIAN
BASKETBALL TEAMS
Player of the year: Jordan Thomas, senior, 6-4,
Hermiston.
Coach of the Year: Robert Wilson, Heppner.
First Team
Jordan Thomas, senior, 6-4, Hermiston
Jazlyn Romero, junior, 5-9, Hermiston
Sydney Wilson, sophomore, 5-8, Heppner
Jacee Currin, senior, 5-7, Heppner
Ana Zacarias, senior, 5-4, Irrigon
Muriel Hoisington, freshman, 5-8, Pendleton.
Second Team
Natalie Neveau, sophomore, Pendleton; JaLay Burns,
freshman, Irrigon; Taylor Durfey, freshman, Umatilla;
Katie Vescio, senior, Weston-McEwen; Faith McCarty,
freshman, Echo; Marie Chretien, senior, Ione.
Thomas
Romero
Wilson
Currin
Zacarias
Hoisington
See Basketball, Page A9
Lillard scores 33 points as Blazers beat Mavericks 126-118
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND — Damian
Lillard had 33 points and 12
assists to lead the Portland
Trail Blazers past the Dal-
las Mavericks 126-118 on
Wednesday night.
Seth Curry scored 20 off
the bench for the Blazers,
who have won fi ve of six
as they try to secure home-
court advantage in the fi rst
round of the playoffs. Port-
land (44-27) led by as many
as 25, and Lillard hit six of
the team’s 16 3-pointers.
Luka Doncic had 24
points for the Mavericks,
who have lost nine of 10 and
sit in second-to-last place in
the West, ahead of the Phoe-
nix Suns.
The Trail Blazers are
fourth in the Western Con-
ference standings, a half-
game back of Houston and
in front of a cluster that
includes the Spurs, Thunder,
Jazz and Clippers.
Portland rested Lillard
in the fourth quarter. Enes
Kanter had 14 points and 10
rebounds off the bench for
his fi rst double-double since
joining the Blazers just
before the All-Star break.
Portland was coming off
a 106-98 victory at home
over Indiana on Monday.
That was the team’s fi rst
game without starting guard
CJ McCollum, who strained
his left knee last weekend.
McCollum will be reeval-
uated next week, and no
timetable has been set for
his return.
The Blazers started Jake
Layman for the second
straight game in McCol-
lum’s place against the Mav-
ericks. Layman also started
against the Pacers, but coach
Terry Stotts said the rota-
tion going forward would be
fl uid.
Lillard had 10 points and
four assists as Portland took
a 26-17 lead to close the fi rst
quarter. It was the lowest
fi rst-quarter point total for
the Mavs this season.
The Blazers led by as
many as 13 in the fi rst half,
but Doncic hit a fl oater and a
pair of free throws to put the
Mavericks up 39-38.
The threat didn’t last
long and Portland pulled in
front 58-52 on Jusuf Nur-
kic’s dunk. Maurice Hark-
less closed out the half with
another dunk to give the
Blazers a 65-52 lead at the
break.
Portland stretched the
lead to 79-66 after Lillard’s
3-pointer. Another 3 put the
Blazers up 87-69, and Dallas
never threatened again.
The Mavericks (28-43)
have lost eight straight on
the road.
Tip-ins
Mavericks: Stotts said
he expects Doncic to win
the NBA Rookie of the Year
award. Mavs coach Rick
Carlisle, told of the predic-
tion, joked: “Boy, he’s really
putting himself out there.”
Trail Blazers: It was
Lillard’s third double-dou-
ble in his last fi ve games. ...
The Blazers split the season
series with the Mavericks
2-2.
Up next
Mavericks: At the Sac-
ramento Kings on Thursday
night.
Trail Blazers: Host the
Detroit Pistons on Saturday
night.
AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer
Portland guard Damian Lillard, center, passes the ball away
from Mavericks forward Dwight Powell, left, and guard Jalen
Brunson during an NBA game in Portland on Wednesday.
SPORTS SHORTS
Ichiro cheered as Mariners top A’s 9-7 in opener
TOKYO (AP) — Ichiro drew all the
cheers.
Most everyone else on the Seattle
Mariners did all the hitting.
A crowd that came to salute Ichiro
Suzuki in his homeland saw Domingo
Santana deliver the biggest hit at the
Tokyo Dome, a grand slam that sent
Seattle over the Oakland Athletics
9-7 Wednesday in the Major League
Baseball opener.
Batting ninth and knowing he’d
AP Photo/Toru Takahashi
get two plate appearances, Ichiro
popped up and worked a walk. The
45-year-old star took his spot in right
fi eld to begin the bottom of the
fourth inning, then was pulled to
another huge ovation.
He was met with hugs from the
Mariners on the diamond.
“The fans in Japan probably aren’t
used to the reception I got from my
teammates, but it’s not that unusual
in the majors,” Ichiro said.
Mariners manager Scott Servais
said Ichiro will play in Thursday’s fi nal
game of the series, but there is no
guarantee he’ll start.
“We certainly want to give him an
opportunity to go out and play, but
we also want to get some other guys
in the game,” Servais said.
“I understand everybody wants to
see him go all nine innings. We’re try-
ing to do the best thing for the team
and Ichiro understands.”